Orel Victory: Indians Survive

Hershiser Gets Best Of Maddux, Braves

October 27, 1995|By GORDON EDES Staff Writer

CLEVELAND - — Just a few blocks away, in the museum dedicated to Elvis and all who followed him, they say rock 'n' roll will never die.

For one more game at least, the true believers left Jacobs Field thinking the same of the Cleveland Indians, whose magical mystery tour Thursday night swallowed up the best pitcher in baseball, Greg Maddux, then booked a return trip to Atlanta for the 91st World Series.

The Indians' 5-4 win over the Braves in Game 5 inspired an impromptu concert from the sellout crowd of 43,595. Reluctant to go home after their last home game of '95, the fans serenaded the Indians with a chorus of Springsteen's Glory Days after home runs by Albert Belle and Jim Thome provided the high notes and pitcher Orel Hershiser was once again in harmony with himself.

The Braves still lead the Series 3 games to 2. But, as is their wont in the World Series, they fell a run short in their bid to end the odious comparisons to football's Buffalo Bills, who have been to four Super Bowls without winning. Ryan Klesko, despite an injured left thumb that was X-rayed after the game, hit a two-out, two-run home run in the ninth off reliever Jose Mesa to make it close.

"The mountain was real high tonight ... [but) that's the most peace I've felt before a big game in my life," said Hershiser, who had been buffeted by one of the few controversies ever to touch him when he pulled himself out of a tie score in Game 1.

"I just checked out on ego," said Hershiser, suggesting he had made a technical decision - he'd lost his mechanics - in a situation where a visceral reaction was called for.

"Maybe I managed myself too much that night. Tonight, I was gung-ho all the way. If they [manager Mike Hargrove or pitching coach Mark Wiley) asked me how I felt, they were going to have to make the decision [to take him out)."

Hershiser did not leave until he'd been given a 5-2 lead, manufactured by a two-run home run by Belle in the first inning that instantly shed the aura of invincibility around Maddux, who had pitched a complete-game two-hitter in Game 1.

Thome, whose RBI single off Maddux broke a 2-2 tie in the Indians' two-run sixth, hit a 436-foot home run over the picnic area in center field off Braves reliever Brad Clontz in the eighth.

Belle, one out after a walk to Omar Vizquel, homered into the right-field bullpen, just as baseball's smoldering home run king had done the night before against Steve Avery.

"I thought the ball was down where I wanted it," said Maddux, loser of just two games in 1995 and none on the road since July 2, 1994, an astonishing streak. "I was surprised he hit it that way and I was surprised he hit it that far."

The home run triggered a different response from Hershiser.

"I saw Albert hit maybe two home runs to right field all season," the pitcher said. "He knew he wasn't having an unbelievable postseason. He knew he had to make adjustments, and he hit home runs to right field.

"The big thing tonight is the Cleveland Indians' offense knows how to adjust. They studied films, they talked among themselves. They did not want to be the same team against Greg Maddux. I'm looking forward to what they do against the next two pitchers."

Sensing that the Braves might not have a better chance to knock out Hershiser, Atlanta manager Bobby Cox summoned a pinch hitter, Dwight Smith, in the fifth inning with two Braves aboard.

Ryan Klesko had opened the inning with a single, Atlanta's third hit off Hershiser. Mark Lemke followed with a two-hopper to the mound. Hershiser seized the ball with dispatch, but his throw to second sailed wide, pulling shortstop Vizquel off the bag, and both runners were safe.

Charlie O'Brien sacrificed the runners into scoring position, prompting Cox to lift shortstop Rafael Belliard for pinch-hitter Smith. After a brief conference on the mound, the Indians elected to intentionally walk Smith, loading the bases for Marquis Grissom, who had hit safely in the Braves' first dozen postseason games.

Make that 13. Grissom topped the ball down the third-base line, within reach only of Hershiser. The Indians pitcher made a vain attempt to barehand the ball, which slipped off his fingertips as he stumbled across the baseline. Klesko scored, the bases were still loaded, and the Braves were in splendid position to break the game open with Luis Polonia, who had homered for the Braves' first run an inning earlier, at the plate.

Polonia hit the ball sharply, but right at Vizquel, who started the inning-ending double play that kept the score tied.

Belle's home run was the first sign that the planets were not aligned as usual in Maddux's universe, but not the last. During the regular season, the Braves' pitcher had allowed just eight home runs in 2092/3 innings, none in his past five starts.

The Rockies had played long ball against Maddux in the division series, sending three balls out of the park, and Thursday night the Indians were lashing line drives all over Jacobs Field, even before the rally that sent the Series back to Atlanta.

Murray nearly took Maddux's head off with a line drive that Maddux caught in self-defense in the fourth. Paul Sorrento sent David Justice back to the warning track to retrieve his fly ball in the fifth; on the next pitch, Alomar doubled off the left-field wall, missing a home run by just a couple of feet.

That brought up Kenny Lofton, who sent Justice on a return trip to the warning track for the final out.